There have been no reports of Jamaicans living in South Africa being affected by violent anti-migrant protests in the country, according to a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

At least four foreign nationals have been killed in the wave of xenophobic attacks primarily targeting migrants from other African countries over the last several months.

But while the growing security fears have prompted tens of thousands of foreigners, including from Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Liberia, to flee, Jamaicans have been for the most part unaffected by the unrest in the ‘Rainbow Nation’, a representative of  Jamaica’s foreign affairs ministry told Observer Online.

The representative indicated that based on its outreach to Jamaicans in South Africa — for which there is no official census figure, but believed to be relatively small – the community did not have much concern, as the aggression has not been directed towards them.

“Asked about the possibility of Jamaicans being mistaken for members of targeted groups, the ministry commented:  “If a Jamaican has even been mistaken for a national [of] the countries [affected] then once they speak, and they are recognised as Jamaican, there is a positive reaction.”

Still, one Jamaican who visited South Africa in June said the tension there was palpable.

“I was waiting for my bus from Ladybrand in South Africa back to Johannesburg, and people were waiting there. The tension was there. I feel like I felt the tension cut through the air,” Kadeem Leslie told the Observer.

Leslie, who is an entrepreneur and the author of two books, The Full Student and Full Money, was in South Africa to kick off a tour of the continent.

Violent protests swept South Africa for some time before his arrival, fuelled by anti-immigrant sentiment and prompting an exodus of African migrants from the country, which has long been affected by illegal migration.

Alongside the protests came demands that undocumented migrants leave the country by an unofficial June 30 deadline.

Having road tripped through the country days before the deadline, with a foreign license plate, Leslie said he was not immune to the profiling directed toward other Africans.

“Some people are giving you the look… you can feel it. It’s very weird. It’s hard to describe,” he said, speaking to the Observer from Botswana where he had gone after his trip to South Africa.

That June 30 deadline has come and gone, but nearly a month on, the protests continue, with AFP reports indicating that nearly 160,000 foreigners have fled in recent weeks.

Mobs armed with sticks have been going door to door in some areas, often demanding identification from people to prove they are in the country legally, amid economic tensions surrounding jobs and illegal migration.

Leslie said since sharing his experience online, he has received some pushback.

“They’re trying to correct me online saying ‘we want illegal migrants out’. I get that, I don’t think any country would disagree that we don’t want people crossing borders illegally…here’s the thing though, when it comes to local and interpersonal enforcement, how do you know by looking at me whether or not I am illegal?” he said, adding “You don’t, and then people say it’s important to clarify but it doesn’t feel that way on the ground.”

He noted that while visiting farms he had been warned about ‘spies’ going from farm to farm checking for illegal migrants and shared that while Jamaicans are not directly targeted it was an eerie feeling to know that others were at such risk.

While he stressed he had had wonderful experiences, had been treated well and that in his experience the anti-immigrant sentiment was held by only a minority of South Africans, he also said: “It’s large enough, even though they’re a minority, that it becomes a concern for anyone who is, you know, looking like they might be West African. Jamaicans look West African.”

The intersection of race and wealth in post-apartheid South Africa also ties into the ongoing tensions, Leslie believed, noting that while the country is home to many black millionaires, there is also significant wealth inequality and racial tension.

“The beef is an economic beef as much as it is racial because it is about jobs,” he noted.

Sharing anecdotes about the divide along race and class lines in some areas, the Jamaican recalled watching black domestic workers leave affluent majority white neighbourhoods each day.

He also reflected on one occasion where he was watching a World Cup match featuring the French team.

“An older white gentleman comes in…and I asked him ‘hey, you enjoying the game?’  And he says, ‘yeah, man, you know, it’s good but, you know, the France team, I mean, they’re not the same anymore. ‘They’ve let so many black people onto the team, and I was like, ‘what do you mean?’” Leslie shared.

He stressed that the views of one older white gentleman did not represent the entire country, citing other experiences.

“I visited many farms… there were owners of farms that were all different races. All of them took care of me, white took care of me, black owners of farms took care of me…People even offered, hey, no, no worries, you don’t have to pay. People are very like that, and that’s also South Africa.”

The world traveller indicated that despite the experiences, which pushed him to spend June 30 in the airport for his safety, his overall experience in South Africa was positive.

“What people may miss from my entire story is that I am okay!” he said with a smile. “I want to stress, it’s not everybody. The people of South Africa are just amazing people.”

Entreprenuer, Influencer and World Traveller Kadeem Leslie poses in Gods Eye Kruger Park South Africa

Kadeem Leslie poses at Titanic Rock in South Africa